Automatic hoist for rotary brill pipes



Dec. 22 1925- H. L. LATIMVER AUTOMATIC HOIST FOR RGTARY DRILL PIPES Filed Feb. 28. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l I V v 0 P. 2 I 3 w w I 1 7. 1 fi w J F WW 3 a; 5 R 7. 1 o z 1. y 1 B 2 AA 1 I I l 1 r A" '1. \Il4rll' l 3 a, V 2 3 5 1 s v, 4 4 46/4 a.

Dec. 22, 1925-- ,566,678

. H. LATIMER AUTOMATIC HOIST FOR ROTARY DRILL PIPES Filed Feb. 1925 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y Patented Dec. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE.

HOMER L. LATDIMER, on WHIT'IIER, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC HOISTI non ROTARY DRILL rrriis.

Application filed February 28, 1925. Serial No. 12,262.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, HOMER-L. LATIMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Whittier, in the county of Los Angeles and pipe extending'into the well hole.

Heretofore it has been customary to lift the string of pipe from within the well hole until a stand of pipe is extending upwardly within the derrick above the rotary table. It is then customary to rotatethe rotary table so as to separate the stand of pipe' ate the draw-works so as to lift the stand from the string of pipe within the well hole,

and assoon as the stand ofpipe has been unscrewed from the stringof pipe, to operclear of. the string of pipe in'the well hole. This operation of startingtlie draw-works at the instant that. the stand of pipe has been unscrewed requires a considerable amount of skill and unsatisfactory for the reason that sometimes the draw-works is started before the stand of pipe has been completely unscrewed, or the draw-works is started after the stand has been completely unscrewed, allowing the stand to ride upon the string of pipe within the well hole, damaging the threads upon the pins and boxes on the pipe. I p

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device which will automatically lift the stand of pipe clear of the string of pipe within the well hole' at the instant that the stand of pipe is completely detached from the pipe string.

7 With the foregoing and other objects in view which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and pointed out in the appended claims. reference is had to the accompanying drawings foran illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

derrick of the rotary type, to which the Figure 1 is a side elevation of a drilling vice being shown'in position preparatory to separating or rotating out the stand of pipe from the pipe string in the'well hole;

Fig. 2 is a view similar-to Fig.1, after the stand of pipe has been separated; v v V Fig. Sis a vertical section through the device providing the automatic hoist; and

Fig.4 is a horizontal section taken sub# stantially on the line 4'4E of Fig. 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters desig nate similar parts throughout, the derrick shown is of conventional construction,

shown as being provided with mud sills 1O upon which rest cross sills ll supporting the floor 12. The derrick cornices are shown at 13 connected1by derrick girts 14 and with braces 15. The well hole is designated at 16 within which is disposed the pipe string 17. The pipe string 17 extends upwardly through the conventional rotary table R. In the illustration, the stand of pipe which is to be. disconnected from the pipe string 17 is indicated at 18. The stand so of pipe at itslower end is provided with a pin 19 which isthreaded into the boxv 20 upon the pipestring17. The upper end of the stand of pipe 18 is shown with its box 21beneath which is disposed the elevator 22 55 supported by the hook 23 upon the traveling block 24. The crown block 25, which is of conventional construction, is mounted upon the top of the derrick. The conventional draw-works is also mounted upon the derrick and is illustrated at 26.. The reference. character 27 indicates the calf wheel with which is associated the reel 28. The line 29 has one end secured to the reel upon the draw-works and extends over" the crown block- 25 and beneath the traveling block 24;,

providing a suitable number of laps extending beneath the traveling block 24and over the crown block-25. From the' crown block 25' the dead line-30 ex tends downwardly and is connectedto the reel 28 associated with the calfwheel' 27. The above described construction is conventional upon the ordinary rotary 'drilling rigsh Theinvention consists ofa cable section 1 or other flexible element 31 which is fde- .tachably secured to the dead line 30 as by t a clamp 32 which is located a suitable dis tance' above the reel 28. The lower end of theflexible element or'c'able 31' is provided with a hook 33 adapted to be inserted in freesliding fit. therein.- The lower end of, the cylinder 37 is closed as by a screw plug: 40, limiting the downward movement of the block 38; The upper end of the cylinder 37 15, is closed as-by a threaded plug 41 having;

chaim composed. of the links. 34 rlS connected to an. eye-bolt 35 havingan'eye 36 and this eye-bolt extendsdownwardly through .a tube. or cylinder 37. The lower end of the eyebolt 35 is threaded "'into'a cylindricalblock 38, which block provides a spring seat for the coil spring 39 which is disposed 'within the cylinder 37 about the eye-bolt 35. The

cylindrical block 38 preferably fits fairly closely withinethe.cylinder 37, providing a an aperture 42therein inwhich is slidable the eye-bolt35. Thethreaded plug 41 provides a second springseatfor the coil spring 3 9' against which the spring 39 is. adapted ably disposedbeneath thefloor 12 of the derrick and issecuredagainst one of the,

to-be compressed, Thecylinder 37 is prefersills 11. Asfclearlyshown in Figs. 3 and be tons-,1 it willbe understoodthat as the? lowerend of the deadline is itastenedito-the reel28, the drill pipe will be withdrawn. from the well and the dead line will not. move with the exception of straightening; out-andcausingthe spring; 39 to becom pressed. Then the stand'18, has been elev vated a suflicient distance,the'rotaryjtable R fisffth-en rotated i so asj to separate or un-v 4,; av suitable bearing platev 43 is disposed against the sidev of one'of the sillsill, and.

U-bolts '44 .extend around the cylinder 37 throughithe; bearing plate 43 and. through the sill .11 ,v so as to rigidly secure the cylinder 37 to the sill. The endsof the U-bolts 30 44 are provided with nuts. 45 adapted to be tlghtened against washers 46. p

The operation of. the device is .as. follows Ini pullingthefdril l. pipe. from the. well hole,

thedrill pipeis elevated by means. of the draw-worksQG, winding up the'line'i29 and thus elevating the traveling block24. The;

drill pipe is lifted; a. suflicient distance so thatthebox 20 is slightly above the rotary; table B so that an elevator can be placed thereabove. As the line 2911s tightened or is wound upon the draw-works, the weight. of the drill pipe creates a considerable. tension upon the dead line 30.-. This tension. tightens the cable, 31 and. pulls upwardly upon the eyebolt 35, compressing the spring. 39 ,betweenfth'e block' 38, and the plug 41.

Althoughthe weight ofQthe drill pipe.- may screw the pin 19 from the box 20.

Heretotore, as above pointedout, has been customary to again start the draw- 'works26' at {the instant thatthe pin 19. is"

separated or unscrewed: from. the bdx 20. I'tthe draw-worksT 26 is startedtoo soon, the threads; sometimes "become stripped and if, the draw works .26 is started too late, the.

se der. pipe 18' merely rides upon the box- 20, until the draw-works pis started, causing damage to the threads.

B. stanii that the pin 19is unscrewed from the box'20, thesp'ring 39' expands, it being understood that the spring 39 is of sufiicient strength to"li'ftt'he"stand 18. The expanthe improved c0nstruction,the insion 'otthe spring: 39 forces the block 38 6 against the plug 40, pulling the eye-bolt 35 downwardly and also pulling downwardly upon'thedead line 30. In this mannerthe stand-= 18' will be 'littedclear .ofth'eipipe string 17: at the instant that the pin '19 isseparatedfrom the box 20, thus prevent-r; ing "damage to the threads upon the pin and the-box. [As the downward: movement of the block 38 is limited by the plug. 40, the stand, 18 will only: be lifted a certain amount,

which is suflicientto liiti it clear ofthe pipe string. 17. The stand 18 can then beremoved in the conventional manner and by reversing the; draW-works.=26, the traveling block 24 and the elevator 22: can again be lowered so that theelevator 22 can be placed-; beneath the box 20', preparatory to pulling a second stand of pipe from the well hole. Whenv the standv 18 is separated from the string of pipe '17, it will be understood that the stringof pipe 17 is; supported .by

the; slips upon the. rotary table B. On lifting. the pipe; string 17, preparatory to removingithe'secondstan-d of pipe, it will be understood thatithe deadline 30. is again tightened, ;taki ng. up the slack indicated at; 47 and. c'ompressingthe spring 39, as berem The"hook 33 together with the links 3.4;provide an adjustment for, the cable or flexible element 31, so thatthefslack 47 in the deadline 30 can bevari'ed. If desired;.. the cable 31 and theimproved hoistingdevice can be separated. from. the dead line 3Q.'at-any timeby means of. the detachable clamp 32.2 Althoughthe above described device is shown as employing a spring, it is to be understoodthat'a weight acting as atountr-balafice weight could besubstitutedltherefor, the broad .idea of the invention being to supply a device'capable of continually exerting a force; upon the dead, line on arotary drilling derrick. which is capable of "liftinga stand of. pipe, this force the appended providing a dead line and the other endr secured to a hoisting. means,.'and: means for causing the dead line to exert a tension capable of lifting a stand of pipe after the hoisting means has ceased operation.

2. In a drilling derrick, a crown block, a traveling block, a line extending over the blocks providing a hoist, a hoisting means, one end of the line being secured to the hoisting means, the other end of the line being secured to an object upon the derrick providing a dead line, an element secured to the dead line, and means for applying tension to said element capable of lifting a stand of pipe, whereby a string of pipe may be lifted by the hoisting means, and a stand of pipe may be automatically lifted clear of the string upon detachment from the string without operating the hoisting means.

3. In a drilling derrick, a crown block, a traveling block, a line extending over the blocks to provide a hoist, hoisting means, one end of the line being secured to the hoisting means, the other end of the line being secured to an object upon the derrick providing a dead line, an element secured to the dead line, and spring means associated wlth said element so as to cause said element to exert tension upon the dead line whereby a string of'p-ipe may be elevated by said hoisting means and a stand of pipe may be elevated by said spring means upon detachment from the string Without operating the hoisting means.

4. In a drilling derrick, a crown block, a traveling block, a line extending over the blocks to provide a hoist, a hoisting means, one end of the line being secured to the hoisting means and the other end of the line' being secured to. an object upon the derrick providing a deadline, an element secured to the dead line, aspring mounted upon the derrick, and means providing an adjustment for securing said element to said spring so as to cause said element to exert tension upon the dead line whereby a string of pipe may be elevated by said hoisting means and a stand of pipe may be elevated by said spring upon detachment of the stand of pipe from thestring without op erating the hoisting means. I

In testimony whereof I have signed m name to this specification.

HOMER .L. LATIMER. 

